The covid-19 pandemic has created quirks in every college basketball team’s schedule, and Pitt is no exception.

The Panthers played only one game from Dec. 23 through Jan. 15. Four games were postponed and two have been rescheduled, including the Panthers’ meeting Saturday with Notre Dame (5-9, 2-6 ACC) at Petersen Events Center.

Pitt (8-4, 4-3) needs a victory, and not just because it has lost two in a row.

1. Tough stretch ahead

The game with the Irish is the first of four in 12 days, a busy period, but not unreasonable or especially difficult to navigate. Three of the games are at the Pete.

But Pitt’s next three opponents after Notre Dame are ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. Winning won’t be easy.

• It starts with No. 20 Virginia Tech on Wednesday. The Hokies (12-3, 6-2) are 8-2 since losing to Penn State, 75-55, on Dec. 8. Still, Pitt can win this game. VPI lost to Syracuse at the Carrier Dome, 78-60. Pitt won there without Justin Champagnie.

• Next up is No. 16 (and probably underrated) Florida State on Feb. 6. The game was postponed Jan. 9. A few wise pollsters have the Seminoles (10-2, 6-1) ranked in the Top 10.

• Then, there’s the return match with No. 25 Louisville on Feb. 10 at the KFC Yum! Center. The Cardinals (10-4, 5-3) beat the Panthers, 64-54, at the Pete on Dec. 22, but Champagnie and Au’Diese Toney were hurt and didn’t play.

The four games won’t define the season, but they offer a chance for Pitt to gain some national recognition.

2. The Big 3

Champagnie, Au’Diese Toney and Xavier Johnson comprise 30% (3 of 10) of the players who have appeared in more than half of the games. But they have scored 60.7% of the points (536 of 882).

Capel said that’s not unusual when compared to other teams.

“If you look at most teams,” he said, “they have two, three guys who maybe score more than the other ones.

“We need other guys to play well, also. We need Ithiel (Horton, 163 points) to be consistent shooting the basketball. We need Karim (Coulibaly, 63) to play well.

“But those three guys are our three best players. That’s who we are. We’ve shown we can be really successful with those guys playing well. We just need them to be consistent doing it.”

3. Playing time is earned

Capel still believes in Noah Collier and William Jeffress, but the freshmen have not appeared in the past three games.

Collier, 19, started against Louisville on Dec. 22 and scored four points. Since then, he has played in only one game (five minutes against Syracuse on Jan. 16).

Jeffress, still four months shy of his 18th birthday, played 33 minutes and scored seven points against Northwestern on Dec. 9. He started, played 27 minutes and scored two points in the first Syracuse game Jan. 6.

“Guys have to earn playing time,” Capel said. “This is not high school or AAU where everyone gets the same amount of minutes.

“(When) those guys practice better, they’ll earn playing time. We need them. We’ll see.”

4. Speaking of freshmen …

Guard Femi Odukale has played in all 12 games, climbed to third on the team in assists (23) and fourth in steals (10) and shown the ability to penetrate defenses. He scored big points against Louisville, Syracuse and Wake Forest (a total of 35).

“Defensively, he can be good,” Capel said. “He can guard multiple positions.

“You can play him with a point guard. You can play him in different ways. He has a pretty good feel for the game.”

5. Beware the Irish

For the second consecutive Saturday, Pitt will play a team sitting in the lower edges of the ACC standings.

Wake Forest is last in the 15-team conference. Notre Dame is 12th and has lost five of its past seven.

To Capel, the opponent doesn’t matter as much as how his players approach it.

“We need to respect the game,” he said. “Notre Dame is a good team that’s struggled. They’re going to be a team that’s desperate to win. They are a very proud program.

“Last Saturday, we played against a team that its record wasn’t good, but they were better than their record.”

Wake Forest’s only victory among eight ACC games came against Pitt.

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